Amend NDPS Act: HP cabinet to Centre
DRUG MENACE CM tells police to set up special task force
SHIMLA:Rampant drug menace in Himachal Pradesh has raised concern for CM Jai Ram Thakur’s government and the cabinet has suggested the Centre for making the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act more stringent.
The state cabinet on Monday, pondered over the rising drug menace. Thakur directed the police to constitute special task force. The cabinet suggested that the home department hold regular coordination meetings at director general level with the neighbouring states.
The cabinet directed to conduct joint police operations with neighbouring states to check inter-state drug flow. The police officials cited data related to seizure of drugs and arrests under the NDPS Act have indicated sharp increase in the figure since the BJP government took over.
Majority of the cabinet ministers accentuated promoting alternative crops to divert people from cultivating poppy and cannabis. Kullu is a major producer of hashish extracted from cannabis sativa, which for the past four decades is being sold at ‘exorbitant’ rates to drug cartels.
Chuhar valley in Mandi district is also infamous for its poppy cultivation. However, off late, synthetic drug, particularly heroin peddlinghas gone up. Kullu and Shimla police in two different operations arrested two Nigerians from Delhi smuggling drugs to Kullu and Shimla districts.
Director general of police (DGP) Sita Ram Mardi told the cabinet, “During last six months, poppy was destroyed from 1,366 bighas as compared to only six bighas in 2017.” Police also arrested 831 peddlers in these six months, he said.
₹800 CR PROJECT FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT
The state government launched a ₹800 crore ‘Improvement of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Management and Livelihoods’ project. The project, launched by CM Jai Ram Thakur, will be implemented in six districts.
The CM said work will be carried out through rural forest development society and biodiversity management committees constituted for joint forest management. The government will constitute 460 committees under this project.